There are only a handful of photographers in our industry who really understand how to use light and today Matthew is taking us outside. In just eight minutes, if you really pay attention, you’ll pick up more information than in many of the platform programs you’ve attended at the various conventions! It’s not that there’s anything wrong with live workshops, in fact, I’m a huge fan, but it’s not the same as you being able to just watch, listen and learn in the privacy of your home, studio or office right now.

This video is from the full length DVD, Inspiring Beauty. If you think there’s a lot of great content here, now picture what’s on the 2.5 hour feature. Nobody does it better than Matthew.

Okay gang, there’s a theme here this week. This is about expanding your skill set and fine-tuning your craft and I don’t own stock in Software Cinema or Photoshop Cafe.  There is absolutely no bounce back to me if you make any purchases. I just love what they’re doing and the educational resource they’re building for photographers! 

Software Cinema and Photoshop Cafe have worked hard to give all my readers a special discount code. Enter “nov20″ for 20% off  on all your purchases on both the Software Cinema and PhotoshopCAFE web sites.

In this Photoshop Cafe/Software Cinema production they’ll share a wealth of information in under five minutes! It’s remarkable the power of these videos in such a short window.  This one is all about outdoor portraits, a key ingredient to great on-location work and essential to your success and growth as a professional photographer.

And if you like what you just watched here, imagine the amount of content in the full DVD. This is an exerpt from “Classical Portraiture Design” and available through Photoshop Cafe.  This is about expanding your skill set and fine-tuning your craft.  If you like what you saw here, the Software Cinema crew has worked hard to give all my readers a special discount code. Enter “nov20″ for 20% off  on all your purchases on both the Software Cinema and PhotoshopCAFE web sites. 

Software Cinema was founded by my old friend, Dean Collins. Dean wanted to establish an incredible educational resource for professional photographers. With the help of his staff and Photoshop Cafe, his legacy represents true leadership in photographic education. Expanding your skill set and becoming a stronger artist are all just a click away!

Dean may have passed away almost seven years ago, but the legacy he left us is one of the treasures of photography.  His dedication to producing great educational videos has continued with Software Cinema and through next Monday I want to highlight some of both Software Cinema and Photoshop Cafe’s productions.

Best of all, with every one of these short segments on the blog, there’s a more in-depth presentation in a full DVD. This is all about expanding your skill set and fine-tuning the craft.  If you like what you see here, the Software Cinema crew has worked hard to give all my readers a special discount code. Enter “nov20″ for 20% off  on all your purchases on both the Software Cinema and PhotoshopCAFE web sites. 

I can think of no better way to kick off Photoshop Cafe and Software Cinema Week than with a great clip from Jane Conner-Ziser.  Jane has constantly reinvented herself, staying on top of all the latest trends in image manipulation. She’s recognized as one of the finest artists in our industry and if you see Jane on the platform of any convention or workshop get there early for a seat!

Being a successful photographer is dependent on so many different variables. Even if you’re not directly involved in Photoshop or related activities of the artistic process, it’s important to understand the extent of what can and can’t be accomplished. Survival is no longer about the fittest, it’s for the most creativity and diverse.

This five minute clip is from “Photoshop CS5 Portrait Retouching Advanced Techniques”  which features many of Jane’s tips and will help you build the quality of your images.  The topic on this one is straightening crooked teeth. While it’s a specialized topic that would interest primarily a traditional portrait artist think about the technology it takes Jane to go from start to finish. Understanding that same technology is invaluable to helping you build your reputation as a photographer and artist.

I hope this video introduces you to two of my favorite companies, Software Cinema and Photoshop Cafe!

David’s reach hasn’t changed, just the vehicle, his blog. I love the way he continues to share outstanding information, always presented in a way everyone can understand. Check out this video called Big Light and Long Lenses for Beautiful Portraits.  David’s incorporated two key ingredients – great light and the use of long lenses to create stunning portraits.

My 1-light lighting techniques I’m showing today are super simple to put into use. This video was produced in our Denver hotel room so please excuse the slight compromise in our normally outstanding production value ;~)

There are many times when your shooting location may not give you the best options for capturing beautiful portraits. That was not the case at Saturday’s wedding. We were working in a beautiful, well appointed home that offered many fabulous locations to shoot.

I chose the large bay window as my background for many of the family shots. It offered a clear, unobstructed view of the beautiful exterior foliage which I rendered much lighter with my lighting and exposure combinations.

My main challenge was to keep the reflection of my shoot throw Zumbrella from showing up on any of the window’s very reflective surfaces. Once we had that under control, the rest was easy.

Yesterday I mentioned that I was shooting with my 7 foot monster umbrella -  reflections could have been a major problem. I wanted to take the chance because of the very soft quality of light the large umbrella afforded the shoot.

The next challenge was to frame up the subjects against the bay window so that it made for the best background for the photographs. That meant the use of a much longer focal length lens. David Ziser  

Big Light and Long Lenses For Beautiful Portraits from David Ziser on Vimeo.

A professional photographer has one primary responsibility: to exceed every client’s expectations. You can only do that if you understand your gear, lighting and have the right techniques in your skill set. If you’re not already following David, check out Digital Pro Talk. There’s a reason why David is one of the finest instructors in our industry!

A longer lens, in this case Hasselblad’s 80mm CF, was perfect for the shot. Don wanted to achieve just the right depth of field with just a kiss of light from the bare bulb strobe.

Notice the placement of the secondary subject, lit only with ambient light. Also, pay attention to the strong compositional lines being created by the bare bulb lighting coming through the railing.  We’re always talking about the importance of making your work look different from “Uncle Harry’s”.  That can only happen if your skill set is constantly expanding and you’re testing your creative vision!

Don Blair may no longer be with us, but he’s certainly here in spirit!  The techniques taught by Don along with photography greats like Monte Zucker, Joe Zeltzman, Bill Stockwell and Rocky Gunn are even more relevant today! And, if you’re looking to catch up on your portrait and lighting techniques to strengthen your skill set then start following great teachers like Clay Blackmore, Tony Corbell, Doug Gordon and David Ziser. 

“Uncle Harry” will never match any of their images!

 I apologize in advance for the quality of the scans. I no longer have the original images, but they’re good enough to make the point. These were scanned from a copy of the book we wrote together, Body Parts.   They should help you create your own classic handshots.  The second image, the one that included the flowers, has always been one of my favorites.

Don’s tips were all based on simplicity.

• Use a high camera angle.
• Keep the bride’s wrist down and remember, the groom’s hand is just going to be a prop.
• Roll the ring hand into the lens.

Happy holidays everybody or as Don would say after hugging all of his nieces,  ”Have a cool Yule”!

To start, for those of you who hate the idea of getting people to pose, you’re missing the point.  Doug’s message isn’t about posing as much as it is about control.  You can get romance and a sparkle out of the toughest “bridezilla” with a little humor and giving her confidence in trustin you to create images she’s going to cherish.

In terms of learning hundreds of poses…you don’t need to learn them exactly, just practice them enough so you know the principles and can create them without spending time thinking through the concepts.  If you know what you’re doing, then it only takes a few minutes to get the images you want. 

I lived through the battles of the 90’s between the photo-journalists and the traditionalists.  In fact, I was the referee in the Bout of ‘91, a WPPI event between Monte Zucker and Denis Reggie and believe me, it was a battle, not just between my two friends, but even the audience took sides.  Today the issue of shooting as a photo-journalist is a moot point – no matter what your style, you still have to capture and create images the client is happy about.  You still have to capture the romance and some times you just might have to create those moments and not wait for them to happen. 

Think about the Uncle Harry’s of the world – they went out and bought the same gear you have.  They think all they need to do is be a photojournalist and they’ll create a new income stream, launching their career as a professional photographer!   But here’s what Uncle Harry doesn’t have:

• Uncle Harry doesn’t know how to pose his subjects.  He doesn’t know how to create flattering images with his bride and groom, let alone do a decent group shot.
• If Uncle Harry gets a shot with narrow depth of field, it most often was an accident.  He’s not paying attention to aperture, shutter speeds or even composition.
• Uncle Harry doesn’t understand light.  I was blown away by Doug’s little Torchlight, adding just enough light on the subject to create the “wow” look every time.
• Uncle Harry doesn’t have the training to put the images together and be a storyteller, one of Doug’s key points last night.  He can’t create exciting page layouts or slide shows with the same quality as a professional. When Uncle Harry clicks the shutter, he’s not thinking of how it’s going to fit in a page layout – he’s just excited if he got an image.
• Uncle Harry doesn’t have access to quality albums or the support to present the finished product!  Michelle Cardello, president of Albums Inc. together with Nicole, Marketing Director, were both working the “booth” at last night’s program. First, how often do you see senior management working an evening program like this?Second, Uncle Harry doesn’t know the first thing about albums, professional packaging or presentation products.
• Last but not least, Uncle Harry doesn’t have the Network!  Art and Marci were there last night from Professional Photographers of Ohio.  Their fall convention is this weekend in Columbus and their big spring show is in March in Sandusky.  Membership in any state affiliate is about networking.  It’s about photographers talking to each other and creating a bond, complete with a secret handshake if you need it and Uncle Harry can’t join!  It’s about sharing not only the frustrations of the economy and technology, but new ideas, products and concepts.

I’m constantly accused of being overly optimistic and a photography cheerleader, as if that was a bad thing.  Well, the truth is, nobody could be more proud of what we do as an industry. I couldn’t be more proud to be working with photographers like Doug Gordon, who was as excited about teaching as he was raising money for Akron Children’s Hospital. 

So, to those photographers, especially a couple in the Cleveland area (you know who you are) who keep telling us the market is going to hell and are more content to live the life of a troll rather than a storyteller – it’s time you opened your eyes!  It’s not Uncle Harry that’s screwing up the market it’s the face you see in the mirror every morning!

We all know I’m a sucker for any pictures of Molly the Wonder Dog, but compare these two Cantrell portraits and for my taste the black and white wins out every time.

In her programs, Bambi Cantrell, will often talk about the power of black and white and the fact that “light is light”, which becomes incredibly helpful when you’re photographing in her virtually famous named First Church of Uglyville.  Ernie Brooks and I got into a discussion years ago about much of the power of his underwater work coming from the fact he shot in black and white.  Then there’s the power of just about anything John Sexton has ever done, showing the full tonal range in so many black and white images.

One of my favorites is from Australian photographer, Giorgio Karayiannis. It’s a portrait of a cancer survivor.   It was chosen by the Breast Cancer Foundation for their signature image in their campaign several years ago.  

The image scored a 100 in WPPI’s print competition at the time. In fact, we loved the image so much it was considered for a Rangefinder Magazine cover that year and later ran in editorial.

So, there I was this morning, starring at Giorgio’s image hanging over my desk, and trying to come up with today’s blog.  I started thinking about the power of black and white, when I found a post my good friend, Scott Bourne, had on Photofocus last week – all about black and white.  

Seven Elements That Help Make A Great Black And White Photograph         by Scott Bourne

“There was a time all photos were made in black & white. Now the default is color and we have to adjust to get the images from their color to the monochromatic version. (Assuming digital camera.)

Now that shooting B&W is more of a deliberate choice, I thought I’d outline seven elements that I think help make up a great B&W image.

1. Great B&W images tend to be simple, with their main components isolated and easy to identify.

2. Great B&W images tend to have depth and dimension – usually accomplished by creating visual layers that extend from the foreground to the background and all points in between.

3. Great B&W images rely on shape and/or form to make up the image. Hue and color distractions are gone. Only the shapes or forms made up by objects remain and can be arranged in such a manner that they draw the eye into or out of the photograph at the appropriate time and place.

4. Great B&W images tend to exploit contrast. The difference between the whitest white and the blackest black is the highest contrast point in the picture and this can be used to draw the viewer’s eye. Good contrast can help add depth and dimension as well.

5. Great B&W images rely on tone and texture to take the place of color and hue. This can be accomplished in many ways. Texture for instance can be enhanced with side lighting. Sometimes high ISOs are used to emulate film grain for more texture.

6. Great B&W images often rely on patterns to draw the eye into the subject of the photo. It helps form shapes and designate important elements in any B&W scene.

7. Great B&W images tend to minimize the background and accentuate the foreground. While this is not always true, if you look at the bulk of the work of some of the great old-time B&W masters, you’ll find this technique used in many of their images, particularly portraits.

Of course there are many more traits you might want to consider when shooting for B&W images, but these seven points should be top-of-mind, especially if you’re new at B&W photography. They’ll get you to the point where you’re at least in the ball park. Your own vision and creativity can take you from there.”  -Scott Bourne

There are an estimated 163 million households in the United States with a dog or cat.  In the hierarchy of why people hire a professional photographer the ranking is brides, babies and pets.  Pets is number three and represents a serious segment of the market you should be targeting if you’re a portrait photographer.

This isn’t new information.  I’ve written about it before, but as we go into the holiday season, keep pets in the back of your mind.  Vicki Taufer launched a pet promotion three summers ago that expanded her reputation and made her one of today’s best known pet photographers in Illinois.  Kay Eskridge followed suit a year or so later and did a successful pet promotion in the Phoenix area. Jules Bianchi in LA did a whole book project tying in her dog into events around Hollywood and has a gallery on her website called, “Mutt Mugshots”.  Ann Hamilton has a whole section on her website putting weddings and dogs as her two primary specialties – plus, you’ll find her teaching workshops on pet photography at various conventions around the US.

If you’re a dog or cat lover I don’t need to say anymore, but if you don’t have a pet at home, then just trust me, this is an important market segment for you to focus on (pun intended).  As a portrait photographer it’s a segment you can’t afford to ignore and holiday time is the perfect excuse to make sure you include pets in this season’s sittings!

George Eliot wrote: Animals are such agreeable friends – they ask no questions, they pass no criticisms.  

Thoreau wrote: It often happens that a man is more humanely related to a cat or dog than to any human being.

and Benjamin Hoff wrote in The Tao of Pooh: Lots of people talk to animals…. Not very many listen, though…. That’s the problem. 

There’s always a bottom line in every blog and here it is…work on having a few pet shots in your portfolio and in your galleries.  Just about every family, couple, person with a dog or cat considers their pet a member of the family.  Pets are an important part of our lives and you need to include them in your business model.

The only challenge with pets…they do grow up! Fortunately we don’t have to!

“Me and Molly” by Cantrell Portrait Design

Here’s the challenge:  There are a minimal number of speakers who come to Ohio, yet we’re in an area with thousands of photographers, being only a couple of hours from Detroit and Pittsburgh, a half an hour from Cleveland and 90 minutes from Columbus.   Ohio also has one of the largest and strongest professional photographer associations.

So, here are the first two programs to come to Akron, Clay Blackmore on Sunday, October 10 from 2-7:00 PM and one of the best lighting instructors in the country, Tony Corbell on December 6/7.  For right now let’s just talk about Clay’s program.

Clay says it all at the end of this video, digital took off like a rocket and fusion technology is the next rocket, about to take off again!   But, this program is far from being just about mixed media – this is about posing, lighting and raising the bar with your clients.  Sponsors like Canon, Adobe, Marathon, Westcott, Nik, Profoto, X-Rite and Sekonic, just to name a few, are all involved because Clay’s message is so strong!

Even better are two additions to his Akron program…use “SSS2010″ and take $15 off the registration price.  That’s $64 for five hours with one of the finest wedding and portrait photographers in the country.   And here’s one more great reason to attend this Akron program – 10% of every paid ticket goes to Akron Children’s Hospital!  This is one of the finest children’s hospitals in the world and here’s our chance to give a little back.

In the year ahead Skip’s Photo Network is bringing a whole series of speakers to Akron, all with a portion of the proceed going to Akron Children’s Hospital.  The programs will be at the John S. Knight Center or right across the street at Greystone Hall, both are outstanding locations for workshops – easy to find, easy to park and terrific facilities.  

This is a rare opportunity and our chance to show more speakers there’s a lot going on in Ohio.  I understand why they always go west and east of us with Chicago or New York, but it’s time we brought some great talent to the Cleveland area, with Clay helping us launch this new series!

“The mark great photographers leave in our minds and hearts is far more than just about being able to constantly create incredible images – it’s about their ability to share, teach and motivate. Clay Blackmore, became an industry icon at a very early age and has never stopped giving to the industry and helping photographers to continuously raise the bar. His images are stunning…his ability to teach is amazing, but even more impressive is his passion for the craft!”

Registration is just a click away at www.PhotoFusionRevolution.com.  See you on the 10th!